The design and construction of elevator systems is based on the principle that as little installation space as possible is taken up by functional units and components so that a greater share of the small installation space in the elevator shaft is available for an elevator car having the greatest possible floor space of the passenger area.
Additional passenger area can be obtained in particular in the installation space between the front face of the elevator car and the front wall of the elevator shaft, in which the car doors and the shaft doors with the door drive components, the car door/shaft door coupling device and safety mechanisms, etc. are arranged.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of details of the car body 1 of a known elevator car. The expression “car body” is to be understood in the present description to mean the part of an elevator car which forms a closable housing and normally comprises a car floor, a car ceiling, wall elements connecting the car floor and the car ceiling, and a door system. Such a car body can be supported by a car frame, wherein the car frame is suspended from bearing means and is guided on car guide rails in an elevator shaft. However, a car body can also be self-supporting, wherein a separate car frame is not provided and the car body is suspended directly at bearing means via guide elements attached to the car body and is guided on car guide rails.
FIG. 1 shows a sectional view through a front upper part of the car body 1 of an elevator car. A car door leaf 10.1 can be seen to the left in FIG. 1. The car door leaf 10.1 comprises a carriage 15, which is formed by a plate 11.1 with guide rollers 12. This carriage 15 moves along a door guide rail 2, which is connected mechanically to a door support profile 3 via a spacer 9, said door support profile being fastened to front profiles 1.1 of the car body 1. This type of suspension of the carriage 15 allows a horizontal opening and closing movement of the car door leaf 10.1 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. At the lower end, the car door leaf 10.1 can be guided for example in a guide groove 5.2 in a car door sill 5.1 of the car floor 5. FIG. 1 shows that a car door/shaft door coupling device 14 is attached typically on the front face so as to convert a horizontal displacement of a car door leaf 10.1 into a synchronous horizontal displacement of a shaft door leaf. JP-2009208947 describes such a door support profile.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective illustration of details of a further known elevator car. The “car body” 1, which is normally supported by a car frame (not shown here) which is suspended from bearing means and is guided on car guide rails in the elevator shaft, is illustrated. In this case, a car floor 5, a ceiling panel 6, a side wall 7, a front wall 8 and two car door leaves 10.1 and 10.2 can be seen. Each car door leaf 10.1, 10.2 is suspended from a carriage 15, which comprises a plate 11.1 and 11.2 with guide rollers 12 (the guide rollers 12 cannot be seen in this case, since they are arranged behind the plates 11.1, 11.2). The two carriages 15 move along a door guide rail 2, which is formed in this case of two profile strips 2.1, 2.2 arranged in a vertical plane. These profile strips 2.1, 2.2 are fastened to a C-shaped door support profile 3. This C-shaped door support profile 3 in this case comprises a lower horizontal strip 3.3, a rear vertical face 3.2, and an upper horizontal strip 3.4. The C-shaped door support profile 3 is fastened in the upper region of the front wall 8 of the car body 1. This type of suspension and guidance of the carriages 15 enables a horizontal opening and closing movement of the car door leaves 10.1, 10.2. At their lower end, the car door leaves 10.1, 10.2 can be guided in a guide groove in the car door sill 5.1 of the car floor 5. The car door/elevator door coupling devices 14 are also shown in this figure.
Elements which take up an unnecessarily large amount of installation space and contribute unnecessarily to overall mass are provided in the installation space on the front face 8 of the car body 1.
The moved mass of the elevator car plays a role in the optimization of the overall elevator system, since this mass accelerates during each journey of the elevator car and has to be slowed down. This results in conflicts of interest, for example between the requirement for sufficient load-bearing capacity and stability of the elevator car and the requirement for minimal mass.